On Friday, the European Appeals Committee failed to reach a qualified majority in its eleventh hour vote on glyphosate, the world’s most widely used herbicide which is embroiled in a debate over potential health risks. The last minute vote was called at the beginning of the month by the European Commission after three failed attempts at relicensing the off-patent herbicide, EU approval for which expires next week.

As a result of the split vote, the final decision on whether or not to extend the license for glyphosate will pass to the European Commission.

Glyphosate has been the subject of intense debate since early last year, when the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) cancer research arm IARC classified the herbicide as a probable human carcinogen. Environment groups in the EU have also claimed the compound is more dangerous to the environment than manufacturers claim. However, in June 2015 the EU’s food safety watchdog EFSA published its scientific opinion that glyphosate is not carcinogenic to humans, and recommended that residues permitted in food in Europe be increased (albeit still within the limits set by the WHO).

In a statement reacting to the decision of the EU Council’s Appeals Committee, a spokesperson for the European Crop Protection Association, which represents pesticide manufacturers, said, “ECPA shares the sentiment voiced by Commissioner Andriukaitis when he said decisions should remain based on science, not on political convenience. With this decision they cast doubt on that system, and create fear and confusion amongst Europe’s consumers - the very people the system is designed to protect.”

The spokesperson continued, “We hope the Commission, given that it was originally happy to propose a 15-year extension will now proceed to adopt the decision on its own, as failure to re-approve glyphosate would have significant negative repercussions for the competitiveness of European agriculture, the environment, and the ability of farmers to produce safe and affordable food.”

However, the EU Parliamentary Greens said, “We applaud EU governments who have again refused to approve glyphosate.” The Parliament as a whole voted for serious restrictions on glyphosate use in April, including bans on non-professional use, use in public parks and pre-harvest applications, and has called on the EU executive to abide by the precautionary principle in the absence of a scientific consensus on glyphosate’s health impacts.

Earlier in June, the Parliamentary Greens’ food safety spokesperson Bart Staes MEP said the glyphosate deadlock represents a chance to begin “Reorienting the EU's Common Agricultural Policy towards a more sustainable agricultural model.”
 
Also commenting on the vote’s outcome, Soil Association’s head of policy Emma Hockridge said, “We hope that the Commission will take note of the growing body of scientific evidence regarding the impact of glyphosate use when coming to its conclusions regarding the re-licensing of glyphosate. Many farmers have expressed support for a ban on pre-harvest use, as such use has led directly to glyphosate being found in our food.

“We also support a ban on glyphosate use in private and public green areas, such as parks and playgrounds, where children and adults have been exposed to it. Until recently, glyphosate was considered the world’s safest pesticide and was expected to sail through the re-authorisation process and gain approval for use for a further 15 years. We welcome the caution that European Member States have taken over re-authorising glyphosate in light of new scientific evidence, including emerging evidence that glyphosate may harm soil life.”